Apparatus for sterilizing bottled carbonated liquids.



PATENTED OCT. 2, 1906.

A. KOWARSOH. v

APPARATUS FOR STERILIZING ,BOTTLED GARBONATED LIQUIDS.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 APPLICATIQN FILED MAlL 13, 1905.

K UE 13%; hau yow q x L L No. 832,581. PATENTBD 00112, 1906 A. KOWARSGH. APPARATUS FOR STERILIZING BOTTLED GARBONATED LIQUIDS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-13,1905.

' 2 SHEBTS-SHEET UNITED STATES PATENT enrich.

ARTHUR KOWARSCH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR STERILIZING BOTTLED CARBQNATED LlQUiDS.

My invention relates to a novel apparatus v for sterilizing bottled carbonated liquids, the

object being to provide anapparatus in which the contents of the bottles may be heated to a sufficiently high temperature to thoroughly effect sterilization without danger of explosion by reason of the high pressure resulting from such high temperature.

My invention consists'in the features of construction of such apparatus, as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating an apparatus constructed in accordance with my mvention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus constructed in accord ance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isia detail vertical section, on an enlarged scale, of a cooler for compressed air introduced into my said apparatus; Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a central vertical, sec tion of an auxiliary chamber for registering the pressure attained in the bottles and enabling the pressure in said apparatus to be regulated accordingly.

This is a division of my application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 236,605, filed Deceinber 12, 1904, for improvements in sterilizing apparatus and method.

In sterilizing or pasteurizing carbonated liquids, such as beer and the like, great loss is sustained byreason of explosion of bottles, due to the high pressure resulting from heat applied, and consequently to avoid excessive loss from this source the temperature emj ployed is frequently insufficiently high to Lcompletely effect such sterilization.

- very cold renders such sterilization very expensive by reason of the large quantities of hot water required and,furthermore, as here- Specification of Letters Patent.

Original applicationfiled llecembar 12,1904,Seria1 No. 236,605. Divided and this application filed March 13, 1905. Serial No. 249,983.

connected therewith.

valve 14, introduced in said pipe 13.

Patented Get. 2, 1906.

inbefore stated, by reason of the bursting of a relativelylarge percentage thereof. To overcome these ditliculties, I provide a sterilizing apparatus comprising a chamber 1, which is preferably cylindrical in form and horizontally disposed and is provided at its ends with dished heads 2 and 3, the head 3 bein preferably hinged thereto and secured in p ace to seal said vessel by means of suitable fastening devices, such as'the bolts 1- indicated or the like. Entering said chamber 1 at a plurality of points in the bottom thereof is a steam-supply 5, connected, by means of the pipe 6, with a source of supply of steam under pressure, there being a valve 7 interposed in said pipe and a pressuro-gage 8 Connecting with said pipes 6 is a pipe 7, which communicates, through a cooler 8, with a source of supply of compressed air by means of the pipe 9, controlled by a valve 10 and having a pressuregage 11 connected therewith. The said pipes 7' and 9 communicate with a zigza passa e 12 in said cooler 8, and connected with the said cool'er by means of a pipe 13 is a source of supply of cold water controlled by a haust or waste pipe 15 is connected With the other end of said cooler, the water introduced being caused to flow in a direction opposite to the flow of the air through the zigzag passage 12 by means of two walls 16", introduced in said cooler 8 in a Well-known manner. Connected with said chamber 1 at its upper end at a plurality of points is an exhaustpipe 17, in which a safety-valve 18 of any suitable construction is interposed, said valve being adapted to maintain a givenpressure in said chamber 1 in a well-known manner. Entering into said chamber 1 through the Wall thereof at an suitable point is a thermometer 19, on whic the tern perature Within said chamber may be read from the exterior thereof. Connected with the interior of said chamber, but disposed on the exterior thereof, is a cylindrical vessel 20 which is vertically disposed and is rovide with a removable head 21, on whic a pressure-gage 22 is mounted, the pipe connecting same with said head pro'ecting through the latter and being provide on said projecting end with a conical plug 23, of rubber or similar yielding material. 'Entering said vessel through the bottom thereof is a vertically disposed shaft 24., carrying a platform 25 at Anex-' its upper end, the lower end portion of said nected with the bottom of said chamber 1 1s a 'valve controlled drain-pipe 31, through which water from condensed steam is drained ofi.

" My method of sterilizing as carried out in e above-described apparatus consists, pri

' marily, in equalizing pressures on both sides of the walls of the bottles, so that the danger of bursting of said bottles or forcin out of stoppers or caps thereof is entirely obviated, thereby enabling the contents of such botties to be heated to any desirable degree withinreasonable limits, and thus thoroughly effect sterilization. Upon applying heat to carbonated liquids, which are generally bottled under pressure, the expansion of the contained gases is very great, and the result is that a very high pressure is contained in suchbottles.

In carrying out In method it is essential, primarily, to carer'u ly Watch and ascertain as nearly as possible the pressure contained in the bottles and to so regulate the pressure without correspondingly increasing the temperature within the sterilizing vessel and on the exterior of the bottles as to substantially equalize such pressure, and thereb prevent loss In carrying out the said met od in the apparatus above described the bottles in large numbers are introduced into the chamber 1, so as to practically fillthe same, and one of said bottles is opened and inserted in the cylinder 20, where it is supported on the platform 25, and the latter is raised so as to firmly insert the plug 23 in the neck of said bottle to seal the same. This bottle now communicates with the pressure-gage 22, and the pressure resulting from the applied heat will thus be indicated on said pressure-gage, as will be obvious:

If' steam under pressure only were introduced in the chamber 1, it will be obvious that the heat corresponding to high pressure would be necessarily too intense and could at no time equalize the pressure in the bottles,

by reason of the fact that the primary pressure therein exceeds steam-pressure at the boiling-point of Water. the desired temperature with a pressure in In order to attain I I excess of the steam-pressure at such temperature, I introduce with or prior to the in troduction of steam into said chamber 1 cold compressed air, so as to attain a pressure in said chamber 1 primarily which exceeds the normal pressure within the said bottle. I

then introduce steam into said chamber, and

as the same becomes heated I watch carefully the'increase in pressure in the bottles ment 1, and this hi h temperature and pressure are maintaine for a period sufi'iciently long to. effect complete sterilization. The supply of steam is then shut ofi and the pres-,- sure maintained and radually reduced by gradually exhausting the compressed air, the pressure of the latter being, however, always maintained slightly in excess of the pressure in the bottles andthe latter being cooled to their original temperature before being removed from the apparatus. In this manner I'am enabled to sterilize a large number of bottles of carbonated beverages at each 0 eratio' at the ex ense of only a single'bott e from each'lot, w ich is required to indicate the increase in pressure for such lot by reason of the increase in temperature.

My said apparatus is exceedingly simple and efficient. I

I claim as my invention An apparatus for sterilizing packed car-' bonated liquids, comprising a-sealed' vessel adapted to receive the package and communicating independently with sources of supply of air under pressure, steam and water, valves controlling all of said connections, an independent chamber communicatin with said'iirst-named chamber and adapte to receive an open package, an adjustable platform within said chamber supporting said open package, a pipe extending through the upper wall of said chamber and carr 'ng a flexible stopper adapted to seal the sai package, and a pressure-gage disposedon said pipe and indicating variations in pressure in said package due to variations in tempera- I ture of the contents thereof;

In testimonywhereof I have signed my name ,in presence of two subscribing witnessesw v v ARTHUR KOWARSCH.

l/Vi tnesses:

.R noLrn WM. Lo'rz,

SCIIERBARTH. 

